The Kansas City Barbeque Society will hold its 14th annual Roast-N-Boast at the Columbus Fairgrounds on Friday and Saturday.
The Roast-N-Boast is a barbeque-cooking contest in which local teams and professional cooking teams from other states compete to make the best brisket or pulled pork. The event begins at 4 p.m. Friday and opens at 2 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $5 per person per day. Children under 10 get in for free.
The Roast-N-Boast is one of three major fundraisers the KCBS does every year, according to Mike Law, who is helping organize the event. Money raised from the event goes to St. Jude Children’s Hospital.
Professional teams from around Mississippi, as well as Louisiana, Tennessee, Arkansas and Alabama come to compete for the state barbeque championship, Law said. The winning professional team receives $2,000.
“A lot of these guys come in from out of town,” Law said. “They cook every week somewhere, whether it’s Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana. They kind of travel. That’s their thing.”
Local teams also compete for a prize of $500.
Other features such as live music, arts and crafts vendors, food and drink vendors and “jump castles” contribute to a family-friendly atmosphere.
“We’re trying to make it a little more family-oriented,” Law said.
About 40 barbeque-cooking teams in total will compete, Law said. In past years, attendance has been anywhere from 2,500 people to 3,000 people. Law expects to have a good turnout this year thanks to good weather.
Teams will begin cooking Friday, while event-goers enjoy the food and activities, including, for the first time, a karaoke competition, Law said. Participants can also watch Mississippi Brawl Stars, a women’s flat track roller derby in the Golden Triangle. The cooking competition is held Saturday. That night around 7 p.m., the Golden Triangle Wrestling Federation will perform.
Sponsors include Carl Hogan Automotives, Premier Ford-Lincoln, Remax Realty and Cable One.
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